City cop under DUI suspicion in crash that hurt trooper

By STEPHANIE FARR, farrs@phillynews.com 215-854-4225

Posted: February 22, 2010

A state trooper remained hospitalized with knee injuries yesterday after he was pinned between two vehicles in an auto accident Saturday caused by an allegedly intoxicated off-duty Philadelphia cop, police said.

"Someone was looking out for that kid," State Police Capt. David Young said of Trooper Matthew Sheeran, who was injured in the 3:45 a.m. accident on northbound Interstate 95 near the Girard Avenue exit.

Sheeran, Trooper Michael Sadowski and a Philadelphia Parking Authority tow-truck operator, Will Kane, were hooking up an abandoned car that was blocking the right lane of I-95 when off-duty Philly cop Matthew Sharkey, 23, with four passengers in his Toyota Corolla, drove over flares set up by the troopers and struck the back of their patrol car, according to a State Police news release.

Sheeran, who was standing between the patrol car and the abandoned vehicle, was pinned between them when the crash pushed the patrol car forward, police said.

Kane, who was underneath the abandoned vehicle at the time of impact, was able to get out and use his tow truck to pull the car back and free the trooper, Young said.

"I don't know how [Kane] came out as good as he did," Young said. "He was remarkable. He was injured and everything, and he just worried about the trooper."

Kane was treated for head and upper-body injuries at Hahnemann University Hospital and later released. Sadowksi was treated at the same hospital for abrasions and cuts suffered while diving to avoid the crash and was released, police said.

Sheeran, who remained at Hahnemann yesterday, had significant ligament damage, Young said.

Sharkey, who has been on the force for three years and is assigned to the 17th District, in South Philadelphia, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of intoxicants, police said. Charges were pending the results of those tests.

He and his four passengers, who ranged in age from 19 to 23, received minor injuries.

A city police spokeswoman said Sharkey would be placed on desk duty, as is standard procedure.